Michael Callahan

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Summit Entertainment via Everett Collection
When a movie opts to play inside baseball with a particular industry, it runs two risks: alienating the people outside looking in ("What the hell is all this mumbo jumbo?"), or alienating the people tightly connected to the underworld on display ("They got it all wrong!"). On special occasions, you have a film like Draft Day, which strikes out in both areas, somehow feigning expertise with such vigor as to befuddle strangers to behind-the-scenes football and frustrate those with an inborn knowledge of the underworld. As a member of the former community, I was bored stiff by the nonstop industry jabber. I was surprised to find, after our viewing of the movie, that a sports-savvy friend was even more aggravated with the film for everything they got so very, very wrong.
But really, neither of these is the true crime of Draft Day. Even on the promise of delivering a bona fide curtain pull on the NFL, all the film really owes us is a good story. Instead, Draft Day banks on the appeal of its would-be authenticity — this is how football people talk, act, eat, do business, grimace, throw laptops on draft day! — as a stand-in for any material we might otherwise be able to care about. The film slaps Kevin Costner's Sonny Weaver Jr., beleaguered general manager of the Cleveland Browns, with just about every go-to leading man conflict in the book (problems at work, problems with his girlfriend, problems with his family) in hopes that something will land in the neighborhood of emotional legitimacy... or, more plausibly, in hopes that it'll play enough like an attempt at a screenplay to warrant all the stats talk he's really there to spout.
His supporting cast has even less to do — Jennifer Garner is his all smiles romantic partner whose vehement love for football is supposed to make her interesting to us (What?! But she's a girl!). Ellen Burstyn is Sonny's disapproving mother, who has a penchant for wistful staring. Denis Leary is a coach who yells a lot.
Summit Entertainment via Everett Collection
The one vein of character work that stands out as a near success comes attached to the line of potential drafts. Josh Pence plays draft frontrunner Bo Callahan who Sonny has a bad feeling about. Chadwick Boseman is the underdog linebacker who we know we're supposed to like because he takes his nephews to gymnastics. In a post-Moneyball world, Sonny is accessing the humanity in the boys he's considering for a career on his field. Hell, he's even willing to overlook the troubled past of Arian Foster because he trusts the boy's dad (I think Terry Crews is contractually obligated to appear in any movie about football). It's thin material that amounts to a disjointed explosion, but it rings as the movie's most interesting stuff. Unfortunately, it's couriered through Sonny, a character who we're barely allowed to meet.
The tragedy of this conclusion is that most of the cast members, Costner included, are giving moreover enjoyable performances — accolades in particular to 25-year-old Griffin Newman as fish-out-of-water intern Rick, suffering through the worst first day of work imaginable. The small comedy offered by Newman and a few others (bullpen fixtures like Wade Williams and Veep's Timothy Simons) is treated like an occasional garnish, but amounts to much-craved sustenance when it pervades the tasteless and stale football blather.
Blather that will detract anybody just hoping to catch a fun sports movie, and blather that will turn off the most high-minded of football fans craving some degree of industrial accuracy. In either case, the blather exists in absence of much otherwise. Without any real characters operating in this dense, hectic, ostensibly colorful world of the NFL, it feels as vacant as Sun Life Stadium on opening weekend. (Right?)
2/5
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ACE/INF
Donnie Wahlberg recently announced that he and his brother Mark are going to star in a new reality series for A&amp;E. The show, Wahlburgers, will follow the day-to-day operation of their Boston-based hamburger joint of the same name and their attempts to get a second restaurant in Toronto off the ground. The brothers will be joined by their mother, Alma, Wahlburgers executive chef and third Wahlberg brother Paul, and an assortment of the friends and family — many of whom inspired characters on Entourage. Although we're excited to see more of the Wahlberg family and watch their trials and triumphs when it comes to establishing Wahlburgers as a major franchise, we're mostly just interested in seeing more Donnie on our televisions.
When it comes to the Wahlberg brothers, Donnie always comes out on top. He's funnier, more easy going, more charming, and will generally make for a better reality television star than Mark. Plus, he probably won't get offended when clips of the show inevitably end up on an episode of The Soup. But since we know that our decision is likely a controversial one, we've had Donnie and Mark face off against each other in six categories to show you why we think that Donnie is the better Wahlberg.
Music Careers: While nobody can deny that "Good Vibrations" is one of the catchiest songs in existence, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch don't hold a candle to New Kids on the Block. Not only did New Kids sell more records and have more hits than the Funky Bunch, they also managed to reunite in 2008 to a great deal of success, and when they formed a supergroup with fellow boy band the Backstreet Boys, they found even more success and essentially kicked off the the boy band renaissance we're currently experiencing. Plus, they're set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame sometime this year. Winner: Donnie
Television Careers:Although Mark is better known for his film career, he does have one major television credit to his name: Entourage, which he created and produced based on his own life. The show has been a massive success, running for eight seasons and spawning a developing spin-off film. However, Mark has only ever appeared on it briefly, for a quick cameo here and there. Donnie, meanwhile, has not had any of his shows become monster hits like Entourage, but he did star in the critically-acclaimed mini series Band of Brothers as Second Lieutenant C. Carwood Lipton, which earned him a role on another critical favorite, Boomtown. He currently stars on the cult hit Blue Bloods, and is the executive producer of Boston's Finest, a show about the Boston police force that has recently been renewed for a second season. Since Donnie's shows are of a higher quality than his brother's, and since he's actually starring in them, we're going to have to give this point to the elder Wahlberg. Winner: Donnie
Film Careers: This is the category in which Mark has the distinct advantage, having earned an Oscar nomination for his work in The Departed, a Golden Globe nomination for his role in The Fighter and starred in major hits like Boogie Nights and Ted. However, despite becoming a bonafide movie star, Mark has made some notable mis-steps - including M. Night Shymalan's The Happening and the upcoming Transformers sequel. Donnie, meanwhile, has had roles in several Saw films, The Sixth Sense and Righteous Kill, alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, but his movie career has been, on the whole, less well-received than Mark's. Winner: Mark
Sense of Humor:Despite starring in Ted, one of the most successful comedies of recent years, Mark doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humor when it comes to himself. A prime example of this is the way he threatened to beat up Andy Samberg for making fun of him in the "Mark Whalberg Talks to Animals" sketches. Sure, he apologized and later appeared on Saturday Night Live in order to poke fun at himself, but something tells us that Donnie would've just taken the whole thing in stride. Besides, he's got to have a good sense of humor to have endured all of the boy band jokes that have come his way over the course of his career. Winner: Donnie
Sports Fanaticism: Donnie is well-known for being a hardcore fan of the Boston Celtics, and has even narrated a documentary for ESPN about the team. Like Spike Lee for the Knicks or Jack Nicholson for the Lakers, Donnie is the Celtics' most famous fan, and other Celtics fans love him for it. Mark, meanwhile, actually owns a portion of a sports team — the Barbados Tridents, a cricket franchise. Although, as New Yorkers, it pains us to say this, the Celtics are a much better-known, more relevant team in the United States, and therefore, we're going to have to give this point to Donnie as well. It might be a controversial move, but in our opinion, basketball beat cricket any day. Winner: Donnie
Personality:In general, Donnie gives off the impression of being much more laid-back and fun to be around than his younger brother, who is prone to profanity-laden rants and violence. Mark seems like the kind of guy it would be fun to have a drink with every so often, but you'd probably always be worried that he would get you into some sort of altercation. Donnie, however, seems like better long-term-friend material; the kind of guy who will back you up in a fight, but who's probably more interested in the basketball game than starting any trouble. Winner: Donnie
So, there you have it: with five points to one, Donnie is by far the better Wahlberg brother. Let's hope his appearances on Wahlburgers only serve to make us like him more.
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It may be the middle of summer, but we're already eagerly anticipating the fall premieres of our favorite TV shows. Luckily, we've got all the latest casting updates to keep you informed and excited for what's coming up for three of the best dramas on television. Read on for all the shakeups below!
Revenge: Get ready, Hamptonites, because there's a new ridiculously attractive fella headed to Revenge, and he's bringing plenty of answers — and drama — with him. According to E! Online, CW veteran Justin Hartley is joining Season 3 as Victoria Grayson's long lost son Patrick. We caught a glimpse of Patrick in the Season 2 finale, and it's clear by the shattered glass on the floor and Victoria's shocked expression that he did not mention he was stopping by. Hartley is set to appear in a multi-episode arc and we will be introduced to his handsome face in the Season 3 premiere.
Parenthood: Hey Lost fans, are you ready to see a familiar face back on your TV screens? Actress Sonya Walger (not Penny's boat!) is joining Parenthood's fifth season as Meredith, a sultry and single architect who'll be working with Joel on a two-year project. According to EW, this new lady in Joel's life poses a threat to Julia, and makes our stay-at-home mom feel self-conscious and inadequate. Fingers crossed the couple can stay strong despite this new sexy addition to the cast.
Once Upon a Time: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, which character is returning to OUAT this fall? Giancarlo Esposito is taking a small break from being a baddie on Revolution and is headed back to ABC for the enchanting drama's third season. TV Line reports that Esposito will be appearing in one of the first episodes of the season. However, it's unclear as to which alter-ego we’ll be seeing. The actor mesmerized audiences in Season 1 with his Fairytale Land character the Genie of Agrabah, and then irritated fans as the sneaky newspaper reporter Sydney Glass in Storybrooke. Which character do you think will return?
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More:Revenge' Season 2 Finale: Will Emily's Spoiler Make You Watch Again?Parenthood' Renewed! Happy Tears For 'Revolution,' 'Grimm' And More'Once Upon A Time' Finale Recap: Keep Your Family Close And Your Shadow Closer
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When you're in high school it feels like the whole world is against you. In writer/director Stephen Chbosky's high school-set The Perks of Being a Wallflower the whole world may actually be against Charlie (Logan Lerman) whose freshman year of high school should be listed in the dictionary under "Murphy's Law." Plagued by memories of two significant deaths as well as general social anxiety Charlie takes a passive approach to ninth grade. A few days of general bullying later he falls into a friendship with two misfit seniors Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson) who teach him how to live life without fear. Perks starts off with a disadvantage: introverts aren't terribly engaging but Chbosky surrounds Charlie with a vivid cast of characters who help him blossom and inject the coming-of-age tale with a necessary energy.
Set in a timeless version of the '90s Charlie's world is full of handwritten journals mixtapes and a just-tolerable amount of tweed. He writes letters to a nameless recipient as a way of venting a preventative measure to keep the teen from repeating a vague incident that previously left him hospitalized. The drab background of Pittsburgh fits perfectly with Charlie's blank existence. And when he finally comes to life as part of Patrick and Sam's off-beat clique so does the city. Like the archaic vinyl records Sam lusters over (The Smiths of course!) Chbosky visualizes Charlie's journey through the underbelly of suburban Pennsylvania with a raw emotion blooming lights and film grit at every turn. Michael Brook's score and an adeptly curated soundtrack accompanies the episodic affair which centers on Charlie's search for a song he hears during the most important moment of his life.
The charm that keeps The Perks of Being a Wallflower from collapsing under its own super seriousness come from Chbosky's perfectly cast ensemble. Lerman has a thankless job playing Charlie; often constrained to a half-smile and shy shrug Lerman is never allowed to grapple with Charlie's greatest fears and problems until (too) late in the film. Watson nails the spunky object-of-everyone's-affection but she's outshined by Mae Whitman as Mary Elizabeth another rebellious friend in the pack who takes a liking to Charlie. The real star turn is Miller riding high from We Need to Talk About Kevin and taking a complete 180 with Patrick a rambunctious wiseass who struggles to have an openly gay relationship with the football captain but covers his pain with humor. A scene of confrontation — at where else the cafeteria — is one of the best scenes of the year.
Chbosky adapted Perks of Being a Wallflower from his own book and the movie feels stifled by a looming structure. But it nails the emotional beats — there is no obvious path to surviving high school. It's messy shocking and occasionally beautiful. That about sums up Perks.

Over the next few months, we’ll see new series soar, old series sour, and so much Jersey Shore madness, we’ll want to shower. Let’s face it: The Fall TV season is intimidating. With dozens of new and returning shows hitting our small screens, we know we have some big choices to make. So, to help you determine what to watch, we’re digging deep into the most notable series premiering this season. Where did each show leave off? Where is it headed? And who should you watch it with? Today, we're checking out new series The Mob Doctor, starring My Boys charmer Jordana Spiro. So leave the gun… and take on this deep dive of the new FOX series.
Series: The Mob Doctor
Premiere Date: Monday, Sept. 17, 9 pm ET
Synopsis: A gifted doctor is forced to pay off his brother’s debt to local Chicago mafia by healing its gangsters… and possibly killing off its enemies.
Cast: My Boys tomboy Jordana Spiro as Dr. Grace Devlin, the big-hearted — but big-time conflicted — title character; William Forsythe as mob boss Constantine Alexander who’s too old for this s**t; Zach Gilford as Grace’s impossibly perfect boyfriend and co-worker, Dr. Brett Robinson; and Michael Rapaport as a hot-headed gangster.
You’ll Like It If…: You need your doctor soaps to come with an extra dose of danger. Also, you still have episodes of My Boys saved on your DVR for nostalgia’s sake.
You’ll Hate It If: TV’s sheer volume of medical dramas gives you an anxiety attack. Also, what’s My Boys?
Mob Doctor’s Formula: (House – antihero) + (Grey’s Anatomy – indie pop – whine/wine) + (The Sopranos – HBO) Oh, the Places You’ll Go: The Mob Doctor travels to a Bridgeport, a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago known for its diversity and pizza. There has been little of both seen in the pilot.
Most Cringe-worthy Moment: Grace helps a mob associate by extracting a screwdriver from his skull. Too bad — if she let his condition continue, he’d have his own TLC show by now.
Most Shocking Moment: The Mob Doctor does what shows like Lost wouldn’t: The series kills off a main character in its first episode.
PSA Moment: In the pilot, Grace treats a teenage virgin who gets pregnant following a too-close encounter with her boyfriend. Think you’re staying safe? Stay safer and invest in one of these.
Will There Be Blood?: Based on the series’ pilot, which came complete with a high-stakes surgery and the aforementioned screwdriver scene, yes, there will be enough blood to satisfy the most insatiable Daniel Plainviews out there. Just look at Mob Doctor’s one-sheet.
More Improbable Than Its Premise?: Grace’s impeccably styled hair.
Soundbite Most Likely to Become Series’ Tagline: Brett, fighting Grace’s desire to perform an abortion without consent: “This is not legal!” Grace: “Then it’s a good thing we’re not lawyers.”
How Dr. Grace’s Hospital Is Different from Seattle Grace: Both run rocky operations — but Grace’s professional in-fighting is career-focused, not carnal. And, so far, no ghost sex.
How Dr. Grace’s Hospital Is Different from Princeton Plainsboro: No Lupus.
Sure-to-Be Fan Favorite: Impossibly perfect Brett is mostly impossibly perfect because he starred in Friday Night Lights. But he’s also The Mob Doctor’s only shot of eye candy.
Who To Watch It With: Your young, hip mother who needs something to tide her over until Grey’s premieres Sept. 27.
Who Not to Watch It With: Mike Callahan.
Necessary Wine and Cheese Pairing: A nice bland Merlot with mozzarella (that sits atop a deep dish pizza).
Biggest Mafia Cliché?: Surprisingly, clichés were an offering The Mob Doctor could refuse. Props to the show for featuring nary a “fuggetaboutit” in sight.
What You’re Most Likely to Yell at the Screen: “Who’s your stylist?”
My Boys Character Most Likely to Watch: Kenny, of course. Follow Kate on Twitter @HWKateWard [Image Credit: FOX] More: Mob Doctor Star Jordana Spiro Teases Gnarly Surgeries &amp; Romantic Complications Boardwalk Empire Premiere Recap: Jimmy, We Miss You Already Hollywood.com’s Fall TV Guide

Director Alexander Payne's (Election Sideways) new film opens over sprawling landscape shots of Hawaii's scenic suburbia accompanied by George Clooney's character Matt King summing up his current predicament: "Paradise can go fuck itself." The reaction unfortunately is reasonable.
We pick up with King an ancestor of Hawaiian royalty in the middle of deliberations over a plot of land handed down through his family over generations. With every uncle aunt and cosign whispering opinions into his ear King is suddenly presented with an even greater problem: taking care of his two daughters. A boating accident leaves his wife in a coma forcing Matt to take a true parenting role with his young socially-troubled daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) and his rebellious teen Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) who was previously shipped off to boarding school. Matt awkwardly hunts for the emotional glue necessary for the mismatched bunch to become "a family " but matters are made even more complicated when Alex reveals that her mother was cheating on him before the accident. Murphy's Law is in full effect.
With The Descendants Payne continues to explore and discover the inherent humor in life's melancholic situations unfolding Matt's quest for understanding like a road movie across Hawaii's many islands. Simultaneously preparing for the end of his wife's death and searching for the identity of her lover Matt crosses paths with a number of perfectly cast side characters who act as mirrors to his best and worst qualities: his father-in-law Scott (Robert Foster) who belittles Matt for never taking care of his daughter; Hugh (Beau Bridges) an opportunistic cousin who pressures Matt to sell the land; Alexandra's dunce of a boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause) who always has the wrong thing to say; and Julie (Judy Greer) the wife of the adulterer in question. Colorful yet real Matt experiences a definitive moment with each of them yet the picture never feels sporadic or episodic.
Clooney and Woodley help gel these sequences together as they observe experience and butt heads as equals. Clooney's own magnetism stands in the way of making Matt a fully dimensional character but he shines when playing off his quick-witted daughter. His reactions are heartbreaking—but it's the moments when he has to put himself out there that never quite ring true. But the script by Nat Faxon Jim Rash and Payne gives Clooney plenty of opportunities to work his magic visualizing his struggle as opposed to vomiting it out like so many of today's talky dramas.
The Descendants is a tender cinematic experience an introspective and heartwarming film unafraid to convey its story with pleasing simplicity. Clooney stands out with a solid performance but like many of Payne's films it's the eclectic ensemble and muted backdrop that give the movie its real texture. The paradise of Descendants isn't all its cracked up to be but for movie-goers it's bliss.

The first and most important thing you should know about Paramount Pictures’ Thor is that it’s not a laughably corny comic book adaptation. Though you might find it hokey to hear a bunch of muscled heroes talk like British royalty while walking around the American Southwest in LARP garb director Kenneth Branagh has condensed vast Marvel mythology to make an accessible straightforward fantasy epic. Like most films of its ilk I’ve got some issues with its internal logic aesthetic and dialogue but the flaws didn’t keep me from having fun with this extra dimensional adventure.
Taking notes from fellow Avenger Iron Man the story begins with an enthralling event that takes place in a remote desert but quickly jumps back in time to tell the prologue which introduces the audience to the shining kingdom of Asgard and its various champions. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin is heir to the throne but is an arrogant overeager and ill-tempered rogue whose aggressive antics threaten a shaky truce between his people and the frost giants of Jotunheim one of the universe’s many realms. Odin (played with aristocratic boldness by Anthony Hopkins) enraged by his son’s blatant disregard of his orders to forgo an assault on their enemies after they attempt to reclaim a powerful artifact banishes the boy to a life among the mortals of Earth leaving Asgard defenseless against the treachery of Loki his mischievous “other son” who’s always felt inferior to Thor. Powerless and confused the disgraced Prince finds unlikely allies in a trio of scientists (Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) who help him reclaim his former glory and defend our world from total destruction.
Individually the make-up visual effects CGI production design and art direction are all wondrous to behold but when fused together to create larger-than-life set pieces and action sequences the collaborative result is often unharmonious. I’m not knocking the 3D presentation; unlike 2010’s genre counterpart Clash of the Titans the filmmakers had plenty of time to perfect the third dimension and there are only a few moments that make the decision to convert look like it was a bad one. It’s the unavoidable overload of visual trickery that’s to blame for the frost giants’ icy weaponized constructs and other hybrids of the production looking noticeably artificial. Though there’s some imagery to nitpick the same can’t be said of Thor’s thunderous sound design which is amped with enough wattage to power The Avengers’ headquarters for a century.
Chock full of nods to the comics the screenplay is both a strength and weakness for the film. The story is well sequenced giving the audience enough time between action scenes to grasp the characters motivations and the plot but there are tangential narrative threads that disrupt the focus of the film. Chief amongst them is the frost giants’ fore mentioned relic which is given lots of attention in the first act but has little effect on the outcome. In addition I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly irrelevant this time around; other than introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye the secret security faction just gets in the way of the movie’s momentum.
While most of the comedy crashes and burns there are a few laughs to be found in the film. Most come from star Hemsworth’s charismatic portrayal of the God of Thunder. He plays up the stranger-in-a-strange-land aspect of the story with his cavalier but charming attitude and by breaking all rules of diner etiquette in a particularly funny scene with the scientists whose respective roles as love interest (Portman) friendly father figure (Skarsgaard) and POV character (Dennings) are ripped right out of a screenwriters handbook.
Though he handles the humorous moments without a problem Hemsworth struggles with some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie; the result of over-acting and too much time spent on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Luckily he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that fills the void. Most impressive is Tom Hiddleston who gives a truly humanistic performance as the jealous Loki. His arc steeped in Shakespearean tragedy (like Thor’s) drums up genuine sympathy that one rarely has for a comic book movie villain.
My grievances with the technical aspects of the production aside Branagh has succeeded in further exploring the Marvel Universe with a film that works both as a standalone superhero flick and as the next chapter in the story of The Avengers. Thor is very much a comic book film and doesn’t hide from the reputation that its predecessors have given the sub-genre or the tropes that define it. Balanced pretty evenly between “serious” and “silly ” its scope is large enough to please fans well versed in the source material but its tone is light enough to make it a mainstream hit.

In a battle of the actioners, the high-octane Cradle 2 the Grave, the only major release of the weekend, crushed reigning king Daredevil with a one-two punch of $17.1 million*, knocking the comic-book blockbuster off its throne.
The top box office winner for the last two weeks, Daredevil got pushed down to third place with only an $11 million take over the weekend, while the raucous comedy Old School, offering its own brand of flying testosterone, held its No. 2 spot for the second week with $13.9 million.
The romantic comedy How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days came in fourth with $10.1 million and Osca -nominee Chicago added a few more theaters to its belt, rounding out the top five with a respectable $8.1 million.
THE TOP TEN
Warner Bros. R-rated martial arts actioner Cradle 2 the Grave barreled into the weekend competition with an ESTIMATED $17.1 million in 2,625 theaters ($6,520 per theater).
The film follows a Taiwanese government agent and a master thief as they team up to hunt down some rare black diamonds before they land into the wrong hands.
Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, it stars DMX, Jet Li, Gabrielle Union, Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold.
No strangers to impressive March openings, DMX and Li first starred together for director Bartkowiak in Romeo Must Die, which opened March 16, 2001, with a healthy $18.4 million, while Bartkowiak's Exit Wounds, also starring DMX and Steven Seagal, opened March 22, 2000, with $18 million.
DreamWorks' R-rated comedy Old School stayed at No. 2 for the second week with an ESTIMATED $13.9 million (-20%) in 2,742 theaters (+53 theaters; $5,069 per theater). The film, which revolves around three thirtysomething college buddies who decide to start their own off-campus fraternity, has made approximately $37.2 million so far.
Directed by Todd Phillips, it stars Luke Wilson, Will Farrell and Vince Vaughn.
Losing the dare, 20th Century Fox's PG-13 Daredevil, slipped to third place with an ESTIMATED $11 million (-39%) in 3,234 theaters (-240 theaters; $3,401 per theater). But don't feel too sorry for this superhero; his film is well on the way to hitting the $100 million mark, its cume approximately $84.1 million.
Directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the live-action comic book adaptation of a blind lawyer who moonlights as a superhero, stars Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan.
Keeping things sweet, Paramount Pictures' PG-13 How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days dropped a spot to No. 4 with an ESTIMATED $10.1 million (-13%) in 2,923 theaters ($3,467 per theater). Now in its fourth week, the romantic comedy about a journalist who has to do all the wrong things to lose a guy for a story has accumulated approximately $77.5 million.
Directed by Donald Petrie, it stars Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.
Miramax's PG-13 jazzy musical Chicago held on to fifth place with an ESTIMATED $8.1 million (-1%) in 2,447 theaters (+92 theaters; $3,322 per theater). Expanding once again in its tenth week, the Oscar-nominated film has made approximately $105.1 million, making it the 24th film released in 2002 to hit the $100 million mark--and with director Rob Marshall's recent Directors Guild of America win, it's only going to get better.
Directed by Rob Marshall, it stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere.
Falling two notches to sixth was Buena Vista's G-rated The Jungle Book 2, offering parents the only true kiddie entertainment for the weekend. It took in an ESTIMATED $6.8 million (-22%) in 2,814 theaters (-1 theaters; $2,416 per theater). Its cume is approximately $33.6 million.
Directed by Steven Trenbirth, the continuing adventures of Mowgli the jungle boy features the voices of Haley Joel Osment, John Goodman, Bob Joles and Tony Jay.
*Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.
Buena Vista's own PG-13 martial arts flick Shanghai Knights stayed in seventh place with an ESTIMATED $4.8 million (-26%) in 2,515 theaters (-11 theaters; $1,909 per theater). In its fourth week, its cume is approximately $50.7 million.
Directed by Tom Dey, it stars Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson.
Universal's R-rated death penalty drama The Life of David Gale fell from sixth to eighth place with an ESTIMATED $4.3 million (-38%) in 2,003 theaters (+1 theater; $2,195 per theater). Debuting last weekend, the film about an anti-death penalty philosophy professor who finds himself on death row when his associate in the advocacy group Death Watch is murdered has made $13.4 million so far.
Directed by Alan Parker, the film stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet.
Warner Bros.' PG-13 Civil-War melodrama Gods and Generals, which debuted last weekend at No. 8, slipped one spot to No. 9 with an ESTIMATED $2.7 million (-40%) in 1,533 theaters ($1,817 per theater). Its cume is approximately $8.7 million.
Directed by Ron Maxwell, the film is an epic portrayal charting the early years of the Civil War in early 1861 through 1863, climaxing with the famous Battle of Chancellorsville, and stars Jeff Daniels, Stephen Lang and Robert Duvall.
Rounding out the top ten list was Buena Vista's PG-13 rated The Recruit with an ESTIMATED $2.6 million (-24%) in 1,508 theaters (-170 theaters; $1,724 per theater). The CIA thriller's cume is approximately $48 million.
Directed by Roger Donaldson, it stars Al Pacino and Colin Farrell.
OTHER OPENINGS
Gold Circle/IDP's R-rated cue-ball drama Poolhall Junkies hustled up some business, opening in a limited-release with an ESTIMATED $315,318 in 179 theaters ($1,762 per theater). The film follows a pool playin' whiz who tries hard to rise above his loser, hustling past--while still loving the game.
Written and directed by Mars Callahan, it stars Callahan, Christopher Walken, Chazz Palminteri and Alison Eastwood.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
This weekend's top 12 films grossed $85.8 million, up 4.58% from last weekend's take of $82 million.
Last year's big winner was Paramount's We Were Soldiers with $20.2 million in 3,143 theaters ($6,431 per theater), followed by Miramax's 40 Days and 40 Nights at $12.2 million in 2,225 theaters ($5,496 per theater) and New Line Cinema's John Q at $8.5 million in 2,456 theaters ($3,466 per theater).

Johnny Doyle (the enviably named Mars Callahan who also wrote and directed) is a pool-playing wunderkind who as his shady mentor Joe (Chazz Palminteri) puts it makes an art out of the hustle not just by conning his victims but making them like it. Johnny's getting tired of the sharking game and his law-student girlfriend Tara (Alison Eastwood) is putting the press on him to get legit--or get out. When he finds out double-crossing Joe screwed him out of a chance to join the professionals 15 years ago so they could remain hustling partners Johnny dumps Joe in a violent confrontation and tries (unsuccessfully as it turns out) to go straight despite his love of the game the respect he gets from his younger brother and his friends and of course the astounding amount of money he can win. Plus Tara's millionaire uncle Mike (Christopher Walken) can run the table pretty well himself and he's taken a liking to rebel Johnny. Meanwhile Joe vowing to settle the score has taken on top-ranked pro Brad (Rick Schroder) as his new protégé to help him do just that.
Callahan looks a lot like Walken by default or by design--his hair expressions mannerisms could make him Walken's son--but the similarity ends there. Callahan's no weighty actor but his easy delivery and quippy one-liners balance the heft brought in by Walken (who steals the entire shebang with a few choice scenes) and Palminteri (who with his malevolent scowl and loathsome behavior chews up and spits out the scenery as if tasting a spoiled bar burger). Wan and vapid token chick Eastwood has zero presence on-screen and even less chemistry with Callahan. The scenes involving Johnny's young wannabe-grifter brother Danny (Michael Rosenbaum) and his pals are a hoot but many are unnecessary. Schroder has maybe two lines and gives a good butt-whuppin' but he mostly just does a lot of lip mashing to show his frustration satisfaction confusion…
How newbie director Callahan convinced this exceptional group (in addition to Palminteri and Walken Rod Steiger appears in his final role as an aged streetwise poolhall owner with an old saw for every unfortunate situation) to sign on is anyone's guess--this ain't no Paul Newman pool movie and everyone knows it. Thankfully Callahan's cast is skilled enough to rise above its corny diatribes and some stiff dialogue and the script does have some very funny lines and scenes that give the cast something to work with. However at a breezy 90-some minutes the movie could done away with a few of the scenes in favor of more character development and back story. Way too much time is wasted on a long party scene in which one of Johnny's young buddies tries to get laid more still on his brother's band's performance at some club and even more on the parts with Tara's bitchy friend--yet we never really find out what drives Joe to be such a jerk or why Johnny is such a loser other than a few lines about his neglectful parents.

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The Screen Actors Guild will present Clint Eastwood with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAG Awards on March 9. Eastwood first gained recognition when he starred in a trilogy of popular spaghetti Westerns in the 1960s, including A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. His screen incarnation of "Dirty Harry" Callahan--the cop who found it easier to shoot suspects than interrogate them--in the actioners Dirty Harry and Sudden Impact spawned the immortal line: "Go ahead--make my day." Eastwood is currently directing his 24th feature film, Mystic River, which also marks his 19th time as producer. SAG president Melissa Gilbert called Eastwood a film icon, adding, "His prolific career as an actor and filmmaker demonstrates a total command of the medium that has rightly earned him the admiration of his peers, the industry and the public."
Celebs
During preparations for the MTV Europe Awards, rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs told Reuters he wished his ex Jennifer Lopez the best of luck in her future with Ben Affleck. He then flashed a huge canary yellow diamond on his finger and said he would lavish his future wife with such jewels. Combs, who is hosting the awards show in Barcelona on Thursday, added, "By Thursday, everyone will be focused on me again."
Singer Bobby Brown was ordered to stand trial in Georgia later this month on charges dating back to 1996, including driving under the influence of alcohol, Reuters reports. The charge surfaced when the R&amp;B singer and husband of Whitney Houston was arrested last Thursday in Atlanta for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, speeding and having no driver's license or proof of insurance.
Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael filed a libel lawsuit in Manhattan federal court Tuesday against the National Enquirer. According to Reuters, Raphael alleges the tabloid falsely reported in its Oct. 22 issue that she had suffered a mental breakdown after the cancellation of her long-running talk show. She is seeking punitive damages exceeding $100 million.
Movies
The American Film Institute announced plans Tuesday for a new top-100 list that will rank the top screen villains and heroes. According to The Associated Press, the institute is sending ballots to nearly 1,500 directors, actors, studio executives, critics and others involved in the entertainment industry. Voters will be able to choose among 400 nominated characters from American film history.
Warner Bros. Pictures is making a feature film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the novel will be adapted and executive produced by screenwriter David Benioff. This is not the first time Bell will make its way to the big screen. Paramount Pictures' 1943 version, which starred Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, was nominated for nine Oscars.
Tube
Sopranos stars Drea de Matteo and Michael Imperioli will co-host VH1's Big in 2002 Awards on Dec. 15, the AP reports. The ceremony pays tribute to "those moments and people that captivated and inspired us in 2002," the cable channel said. Categories include "Strange but True," "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Been Caught Scene Stealing."
Music
Guitarist Carlos Santana, country singer Willie Nelson and teen rock sensation Michelle Branch will headline the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11. The show will pay tribute to former president Jimmy Carter. Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange will emcee the show.